With the basics under your belt, here are a few ways bettors choose to wager on the NBA. The -1.5 spread is always accompanied by traditional odds, like our magic -110 number, indicating the value of the spread bet.įree NBA Picks Popular Types of NBA Betting If the odds were reversed (+1.5), then your bet would cash if the underdog either loses by no more than one point, or wins outright. In this example, -1.5 means the favored team must win by more than 1.5 points for the bet to cash. NBA point spread betting is one of the most popular ways to bet on basketball, as it adds some excitement to every basket and better odds over picking an outright winner. A basketball bettor must lay $110 to win $100 when wagering on point spreads, for example, which are game-specific lines set by oddsmakers with hopes of getting equal action on both sides. It defines the amount required to earn $100 on either side of a wager and appears frequently on popular options. 110 is often referred to as the 'magic number' of sports betting.
